HD800 Modded vs HD800s

[enthusiast]

Hi All - After listening to HD800s on a BHA-1 at my local store I am curious how they sound on my Violectric Stack and want to buy them. However I wonder if not the same amount of sound quality can be achieved with one of the mods of this forum on the old headphone which is 50% the price as the new one (at least for me where I live).
 
Did anybody compare the two (modded vs S)  and can share their experiences?

 

[Deni5]

From the HD-800 S product page:
 
Absorber technology of the HD 800 S
The enhanced sound reproduction of the HD 800 S is achieved through the addition of the innovative absorber technology that was pioneered in the Sennheiser IE 800 – a breakthrough that preserved the audibility of very high frequency sounds by eliminating a phenomenon known as the “masking effect”, where the human hear struggles to hear frequencies of sound when lower frequencies of a higher volume occur at the same time. By absorbing the energy of the resonance, Sennheiser’s patented absorber technology prevents any unwanted peaks and allows all frequency components – even the finest nuances – in the music material to become audible.
 
Say you bump the bass, you will hear less treble. Actually the treble is still there but it will be seem as it's more in the background - not in your face. That's why you can still experience listening fatigue even if you're listening to a headphone that seems not very treble forward because there's lot of bass. Hence "masking effect".
 
I guess that's why I always find the detail forward headphones very bass light and vice versa. Although that's not always the case as there's V-shaped signatures but then mids are distant and that can be distracting/sound off.
 
HD-800 (original one) is the best balance of bass-mids-treble I have heard yet (listening to many music genres balance is key), but you can make further refinements of course. I can see how refinements to the treble can be of value - listening fatigue is not something you want to experience.
 
Haven't tried the mod so I don't know exactly what it sounds like but I think it should sound different from the HD800s. Having the IE 800 I hear the treble as different - sometimes artifical sounding but most of the time very good so that absorber technology is doing something.

 

[enthusiast]

Thanks for your impressions. I was in Store today again and did have a chance to compare both 800 and 800s against LCD-3, T1 and some top-of-the-line AKG.
 
I listened to classical and acoustic, all HQ Reference CD material, not that it would matter for a comparison test.
 
I listened on a totally overpriced Sennheiser €2K Amp sounding veiled and on the Bryston BHA-1, which sounded really great, detailed and fast. I myself prefer the tonality of my Violectric stack I must say, even if you miss out a tiny bit on Transparence.
 
AKGs sounded great overall, very lively, but a bit too much mid-thumby for my taste.
 
T1 sounded basically like a 990, not my cup of tea, too bright, but I guess they need a long warm-up time like most Beyers.
 
Audeze LCD-X sounded great overall sound, very balanced, less bass than LCD-2. But I crossed Audezes of my list for now, too heavy. To be honest its weight are an impudence and should be considered a bug, not a feature.
 
Finally, the silver HD800: Way to harsh sounding for my ears personally. Ouch, ouch, ouch. Listening to classic gave great spectrum etc and what not, but Voice/Vocal had many SSSSSssss, nothing I would spend money on.
 
The HD800s: Much improved, there was bass (!) - compared the HD800 which had no bass at all. Soundstage all great and wide, but lacking visceral impact if you turn the volume up. Great, great with classical, but don't you turn that volume up, don't you do it! I think the 800s are headphones you need to listen silently and need a lot of time and then you will sink into the music like never before. But in the store - not a chance. People chattering, very bad conditions for open sounding cans like the HD800s.
 
Admiddedly the test was completely unfair, because the gear was cold and not warmed up, but I guess you can compare these Headphones somehow even in this cold state.
 
I left the store without buying any of them, too uncomfy, too harsh-sounding and the listening environment was subpar.
 
Even though I really dig detail and microscopical listening experiences, out of the bunch I liked the LCD-2 most, I guess since it has a totally unique sound-signature, very pleasant one I must say. Yet - I am not deaf - I am aware of the absence of any neutrality, soundstage or transparency in the LCD-2s.
 
I now ordered the latest (Ether C) from MrSpeakers for €1800,- with High-End cabling, because I think with a neutral headphone you can't go wrong. Also I really like that MrSpeakers offers Modding capabilities and upgrades for no more than $5. This way everybody can tune his headphones to his/her liking. Anyway, enjoy your HD800s, I think they are great Headphones, but not for me, I need some visceral impact in the lower regions as well.